Potato-assorter.



J. W. WINTERMUTE.

POTATO ASSORTER.

. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1908.

996,549, Patented June 27, 1911.

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J. W.- WINTBRMUTE. POTATO ASSORTER.

\ APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1908. 996,549, Patented June 27, 1911.

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UNITED SA FATE FFIQE.

JOHN W. WINTERMUTE, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

POTATO-ASSORTER.

Application filed August 25, 1908. Serial No. 450,221.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. VIN-TER- MUTE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Potat0- Assorters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings as constituting a part thereof.

This invention has for its object to provide a convenient contrivance by which to simplify the task of assorting and sacking potatoes.

To this end my invention consists of a table-trough provided with a raised rim, and grated bottom, through which to discharge the dirt clinging to the potatoes, also the smallest of the latter; a trap door through which to discharge waste-potatoes, and a series of arms from which to suspend the sacks; and my invention comprises besides the certain features hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device; Fig. 2 is a plan or top view; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken through the waste-hopper; Fig. 4 is a section through the waste-hopper on a line ww of Fig. 3; and also illustrates the means provided for hanging a sack under the trap-door of my device; and Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 show details of construction.

Referring now to the reference-letters: The assorting table 0/. comprises transverse members a, legs I), and elevated side and end pieces 0, 0, d, cl, constituting a sort of trough. The bottom is closed by a grating of slats e, set into the transverse members a. The slats e, are arranged about one inch apart, and tapered in cross section so as to enlarge the space, downward between the slats. The spaces intermediate the slats are provided to discharge dirt, and the very small waste potatoes. The grated bottom extends only about three-fourths the length of the table-trough. The remaining space of the bottom is closed by a trap-door f. The latter is made of end-pieces g, g and slats 7 also set about one inch apart, and constructed and arranged like the slats e. The middle slat f is however, made with trunnionends h, which constitute the pivots of the trap-door, the same being inserted in the circular apertures z', therefor made in blocks 7', j removably secured in the sills 7' of the tabletrough by pins j as seen in Fig. 7 Supported pendent from the table-trough, under the trap-door, is a hopper 7a, consisting of sloping side-walls 70, 70 a sloping end-wall Z, and vertical end-wall Z, leaving a bottom discharge-aperture m. The walls Z, Z of the hopper are provided with hooks n on which to fasten the mouth of the sack to receive the waste potatoes, as shown by dotted outline t in Fig. 4:.

Exterior of the front and back walls 0, 0 there are provided four sets of horizontally projecting sack-supporting arms 0. Each of the latter comprises a crank-axle 0 provided with pendent hooks p and rigid collars g. The inner-ends of the crank-axles are supported in a perforation therefor provided in a plate 1" afiiXed to the exterior of the walls 0, 0; and the outer-ends of the crank-axles 0 are supported by rods .9, 8 provided with eyes 5 on their outer ends. The collars q serve to hold the crank-axles longitudinally in place.

The table-trough is kept filled with potatoes. The sacks to be filled are fastened between opposite pairs of sack-supporting arms 0, being suspended from the hooks p of the crank-axles. The men doing the assorting stand facing the table-trough, between the sacks on each side; two men doing the work, and each man attending to two sacks. The waste potatoes are pushed over the trapdoor, and dropped into the sack suspended from the hopper under the trap-door, by tilting the latter by hand. The potatoes retained on the slatted bottom of the main part of the table-trough, are graded or assorted, and dropped into the sacks suspended from the arms 0, by hand. To release a suspended sack from the sack-holding arms, it is only necessary to partially turn the crank-axles 0, so as to disengage the hooks p.

I claim:

A device of the character described comprising a supporting frame, a trough mounted on the frame, said trough having a grated bottom formed of a series of longitudinally spaced strips and a trap door forming a continuation and its upper surface being on a plane with the upper surface of the before mentioned longitudinal strips and comprising a series of spaced 10 transversely arranged strips, and means for pivotally mounting the trap door.

JOHN W. WINTERMUTE. Witnesses:

T. J. GnIsLER, Rose M. WEINSTEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). C. 

